Everything Happens For A Reason
by MyLifeAsAli1
Summary: A different twist to 4x11. What if Merlin had seen Gwen changed into a deer, and tried to change her back? What if it went wrong, and Merlin was injured? Whump (for later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: No Merlin rights for this girl! :(**

Chapter1:

Gwen ran.

Her fear had engulfed her. The only thought her mind could assemble was, _RUN_! She no longer cared about how much noise her body made as she made her way through the forest.  
The banished maiden knew Morgana couldn't have been far behind. She was on a horse, after all. And poor Gwen was quickly becoming out of breath.

Morgana stopped and looked around. She hadn't lost her. She refused to lose her. Then her eyes averted to a low tree branch, broken in two. Morgana chuckled to herself. How could Gwen be so careless? She smirked and rode forward, towards her prey. Faster and faster she rode, until...

"Gwen." She had cut the girl off. Rounded the corner and there she had been, fear etched across her dark face. "_Too easy_," she thought. "Nice to see you again. Oh, but you forget; I know those woods."  
"Leave me alone," Gwen replied. "You've done enough harm!"  
Morgana smiled cruelly. "You've misjudged me. We were friends once, were we not? I only want to help, Camelot lies that way." she said, her finger pointed.  
Gwen exhaled. "Do you think I'd ever trust you again?!"  
Morgana smirked again. "True, I may be lying. Maybe not..."  
"Well I know these woods, as well." Gwen said with confidence, starting to sprint away.  
"Oh, Gwen, when did you become so naive?" Morgana muttered under her breath. Her eyes flashed gold, and the maiden was flown through the air then knocked against a tree, rendering her unconscious.  
Morgana walked towards the now-unresponsive Gwen. She though about what to do with her. Then inspiration struck here as she heard the familiar horns of a hunting party.  
" Nu bebeod ic the thaet thu lætest thine flæcsclice gelicnysse. Wyrth deor!"  
Smiling as a glow started to appear around the girl's body, Morgana quietly walked back to her horse, and rode away. Little did she know that someone was watching.

**A/N Wow, this was fun to write. :) Short chapters buuuttt... I've got this plotted out in my head, can't wait to get it on paper. (Well, Internet...you know what I mean!) I took the spell from Merlin Wiki. Reviews, anyone?**

_Preview-_

_The horns blasted and the dogs barked. They had spotted something._

_"No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen!"_

_"Merlin? Merlin, can you hear me?"_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Merlin hated hunting.

The idea of killing innocent animals reminded him too much of what Uther had done to so many innocent people with magic. They were defenseless, and unsuspecting. How wrong it felt, for Merlin to be out hunting.

Merlin must've been thinking about that a lot, because before he knew it, his eyes that had previously been looking at the ground looked up, and Arthur was no where to be found. He looked around, frantically. _"Oh, this is not good_," he thought. "_Royal prat, probably did it on purpose_." Merlin grumbled.

**M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M**

The young warlock had enough experience to now which way to go back to Camelot, but he decided to go look for the hunting party.

He wandered aimlessly thought the dense shrubbery, looking for any familiar sign. A broken branch, a hoof print, anything.

Then, finally! A dog print! "_It must be one of the hounds_." He found another, and another. Then he saw a hoof print, which confirmed his suspicions. He had found the trail. Merlin exhaled deeply, relieved.

The he heard it.

A twig snapping. His head whipped around, the opposite direction of the trail. He knew he heard something, it wasn't his imagination. Merlin proceeded to follow the noise, going the other direction of the recently found trail. It may not have been the best decision; but he was curious.

Arthur knew something was wrong. He hadn't heard Merlin's annoying voice in a while. No clotpoles or dollopheads in quite a while. Most unusual. Arthur wondered, "_What does clotpole even mean? I'm not that arrogant, am I? No, Merlin's just messing with_-"

"Is something on your mind, my Lord?" Mithian asked, trotting up alongside the prince.

"I'm not sure..." he said, his brow furrowed. "Where's Merlin?" he asked.

Mithian looked around. "He was here only a bit ago," she said, slowly.

"Hmmm," was Arthur's thoughtful reply.

"Does he know his way back to the castle?" Mithian inquired.

"Yes, we've been hunting enough, he should've memorized it by now."

"Then let us hunt! He knows his way, Merlin is smarter than you give him credit for."

To this, Arthur laughed out loud. "Merlin?"

Mithian smiled, "Or are you just a sore loser?" She knew Arthur was too competitive and gallant to let that go.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Onward," he said, quietly.

**M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M**

Merlin had gone to the spot where he believed he heard the snapping noise. After scanning the ground and only finding one hoof print, he decided to search a little deeper. Then he heard the snort of a horse and immediately crouched in a nearby shrub. He looked in the direction of the sound. His jaw clenched. He didn't know the horse, but he know the rider.

Morgana was wearing a dark cloak, and riding fast.

Many thoughts crossed Merlin's mind. _"Where is she going? Is Arthur in danger? Is she alone? I must find Arthur and warn him! Should I follow her?"_

Merlin decided to follow her, because if she was here to harm Arthur, she would most likely lead Merlin right to him.

Merlin was definitely smarter than Arthur gave him credit for.

**A/N Oooo, the story sets sail! I need some help, guys! I don't know what the heck language to use for a spell? Help! :0 R&R's are great!**

_Preview-_

_"Is that Gwen?"_

_There was blood on the ground._

_Mithian gasped, eyes widening. "Did I...?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Merlin snuck silently through the forest as Morgana rounded a curve and only to cut of, wait? "_Is that Gwen_?"

He stopped as she stopped. He was still far enough away that Morgana couldn't see him.

"You've done enough harm!"

_"It IS Gwen! Is Morgana trying to hurt her? O, Lords, I can't reach her in time_!"

Merlin's jaw clenched as Morgana knocked Gwen against a tree and he started forward.

He hesitated as Morgana seemed to be placing another spell on Gwen. She walked off.

This was Merlin's chance!

"Gwen!" She whispered loudly. He started forward towards her.

"Gwen?" Merlin gasped in surprise. Gwen was glowing, getting brighter and brighter. Soon, Merlin couldn't even look at her, she was so bright. He turned his head away, covering his eyes with his arm. When the glow died down, Merlin looked back, and gaped at what he saw. Gwen was a deer?

"_Really, now, Morgana, why would you have done this-" _Merlin's eyes widened_. "The hunting party_!"

"Gwen? Gwen." He set his hand onto the deer's body and shook her lightly.

"_Oh, I'm going to have to fix this_."

Merlin sat down, trying to recall the spell in the book Gauis gave him.

He took a deep breath and concentrated.

**"**áwendednes æðeling prep dá. ágýman héafod lícsár**!"**

His eyes glowed gold, and waited a moment. The familiar glowing returned.

However, Merlin was the source of the glowing.

"No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen!" He looked down as his legs suddenly became very wobbly, as though he couldn't walk on just two legs anymore. He toppled over when it became to much. He closed his eyes, wondering what to do. He was afraid of what he would see when he opened them. Eventually, he did open them.

Merlin looked up into the shocked eyes of Gwen, in human form.

"Gwen." He tried to say. Gwen just looked at him, clearly confused.

"Where did you come from? You look... familiar..."

Merlin stood up and looked down. What he saw was not what he wanted to happen. He had changed into the doe. Then he realized, the words were backwards!

Gwen stood up and brushed off her purple dress, ridding it of the pine needles and loose dirt. Her eyes scrunched together while taking one last look at the deer, Merlin. "Very familiar, indeed..." she muttered quietly.

A horn blared in the distance.

Gwen looked in the direction of the horn, and started to run off in the opposite direction.

"Gwen!" Merlin tried again, but it only came out sounding like a snort.

Merlin sighed. What was he going to do?

**M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M**

Arthur held up his hand, this signal to stop. A flick of the wrist, fan out and search.

Elyan and Leon led some to the right, and Arthur and Mithian led to the left.

All of a sudden, they heard the snort of a deer. The horns blasted and the dogs barked. They had spotted something. They rode on.

**M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M**

Merlin's head shot up. Was that a hound? His hearing seemed to be amplified, so there was no mistaking the barking of a dog. Then a horn blared. Merlin knew what that meant: run. If he was their prey, there was almost no chance of escaping. His thin deer-legs carried him fast, but it seems not fast enough.

**A/N The plot thickens; okay, this got really hard to write really fast! i hope its not too dorky. I tried my best with the spell. It literally means "change man/hero into the doe. Heal this wound of the head" (err, I hope it does)**

**On a brighter note, the groundhog didn't see his shadow this morning! Spring shall come early! Whoop! :) **

**Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning whumpage ahead, quench your sadistic thirst here!**

Chapter 4:

Struggling through the forest as a deer was not Merlin's idea of a good time. He was running fast, but to where, he didn't know. All of a sudden, Mithian was in front of him. He turned, and behind him was Arthur. They had cut him off! Arthur raised the crossbow and aimed. Merlin, with one last plead of hope, looked right into Arthur's eyes. Surely he would recognize him? Arthur lowered his weapon. "_Did that actually work_?" Merlin stumbled as radiant pain exploded on his left side. He cried out in silence, for there came no sound. Grimacing, he plodded forward. The sound of the the hunting party were growing fainter, and not because he was getting farther away. It was almost like Merlin had water in his ears. He made it to a large trunk of a tree before the pain overtook him, and he sunk into unconsciousness.

**M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M**

"Here! Arthur!" Mithian yelled. "It's the one we have been chasing."

The deer looked up at the sound of her voice. The deer clearly looked exhausted.

Arthur raised the crossbow and aimed toward it.

"_Strange_," Arthur thought. "_Do deer always have such emotion?"_

Then the deer did something really strange. It looked at him, straight in the eyes.

Arthur lowered his crossbow, confused. His brow furrowed, contemplating what to do. His heart was telling him not to shoot, when an arrow protruded from the deer's abdomen. The deer bolted.

"Well, I suppose that counts as one for me!" Mithian smiled sweetly. Arthur looked at her.

"I don't think that was good..." He said, quietly. There was blood on the ground.

"What?" Mithian laughed. "Sore loser, are we?"

Arthur crouched down and put his finger in the blood.

"This isn't animal blood." He stated.

"What?"

Arthur's eyes widened. "We need to find Merlin."

They rode off, leaving the others of the party looking around at each other.

**M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M**

"Mithian, there's more blood here!"

"Coming!" came her voice. "Wait, Arthur?!"

"Did you find something?" Arthur asked.

"It's...Merlin?"

Arthur quickly dismounted, jogging towards the sound of her voice.

The deer tracks led right to a tree trunk, where a human was sitting.

Mithian herself wasn't by him yet, but making her way towards him.

Arthur got to him first.

It was certainly Merlin, whose face was scrunched with pain, and his pale complexion making Arthur worry.

"Merlin? Merlin, can you hear me?" He asked, shaking his shoulder, gently.

The boy groaned in response, and cracked open his blue eyes halfway.

"..Arthur..?" He croaked out.

His eyes wandered down to where his hands were.

Arthur noticed this as well. Looking at Merlin's lower side, and the an arrow laying next to him, Arthur realized he was wounded, and the wound was deep. It was not just any arrow, but one of Camelot's colors. He upcapped his water pouch a held it to Merlin's lips, which he drank greedily.

"Easy, Merlin, don't make yourself sick!" Arthur warned.

It was then that Mithian had caught up to Arthur. She crouched next to him.

"Merlin?" She asked softly.

"Hello," Merlin whispered hoarsely. Arthur knew he was getting weaker.

"Come on. We are taking you to Gauis. Can you walk, let alone stand?"

Merlin attempted to push himself up, only to collapse with a shriek.

Mithian jumped. "What's wrong?"

Arthur gestured at Merlin's side, which was now coated with blood

Mithian gasped, eyes widening. "Did I...?"

Arthur cut her off with his hand.

"It...it's alrigh-" he coughed. "alright." Merlin attempted a smile, which looked like it hurt.

"Merlin, I am so, so sorry, I had no idea..."

"Stillook betterthan thprat?" Merlin words became slurred, which Arthur recognized as a bad sign.

Mithian smiled, a single tear streaming down her cheek. "We need something to staunch the bleeding, here, Arthur, apply pressure with your palm. Shall I go back for help?"

Arthur nodded, "Be swift,'' he told her.

Beneath him, Merlin whimpered.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Stay awake, you idiot."

Merlin smiled, eyes drooping. "Doesit hurt?" He asked

"Does what hurt?"

"D...dying?"

"_Oh, boy,_" Arthur thought. Then he spoke up, "Don't be such a girl, Merlin, you are going to be fine." He figured an insult was the beltway to hide his own hurting.

Arthur didn't know what he would do if Merlin died right here, with his blood on Arthur's hands.

**A/N Cliffie! Super sorry for being so slow! School got insane and exams are coming! Eeeep! (Least the 2nd trimester is almost over) It was so snowy here we had 3 days off school. Back to the story, Okay... I realize you can't determine animal blood from human blood than easily... But hey! It's fiction, right? I hope this satisfies your sadistic needs! Don't pretend like you don't have 'em.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Cleaning an arrow wound was something Arthur never liked to do. Especially on his serv- no, friend, who was squirming around.

"Stop it. Merlin, calm down!" Arthur ordered.

The boy almost immediately stopped moving, thought the pain was still present in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Arthur said.

When no reply came, Arthur panicked for a moment.

"Merlin?" Arthur spoke to the wounded boy lying beneath him.

"Mmm?" came the reply from Merlin, who was too weak to say too much.

"Who did this to you? I mean, not the arrow, but the deer thing...Were there bandits, sorcerers?"

"N-no."

"Then who? Merlin, don't fall asleep."

The warlock's eyes were starting to droop.

"Itwas Mor...Mor..." He coughed and his brow furrowed in frustration.

Arthur heard enough. "Morgana." Arthur finished for him, already knowing the answer.

Merlin nodded.

"Rest, but don't fall asleep. Mithian will return soon."

The sound of hitched breathing made Arthur glance downward upon Merlin.

"Merlin, are you alright?"

Again, Merlin nodded. "Just c-cold."

Arthur's heart skipped a beat. Mithian needed to come back, and soon. He took off his red cloak, and laid it on top of Merlin, who has started to shiver.

M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M. M.M.M.M.M.M.M

"Do you remember the time you made me eat rat? I didn't want to try it, but I... Merlin?"

The boy had fallen unconscious. And hard as he tried, Arthur could not rouse him.

_"I hope Mithian returns soon." Arthur_ thought.

He knew that Merlin doesn't have much longer, he's already lost too much blood, and it was taking its toll.

"Come on, Merlin. You can't sleep now. Wake up. Wake. Up." He shook Merlin's shoulder.

Arthur placed the heel of his hands onto Merlin's wound and pressed. Hard.

Merlin didn't even so much as groan.

Arthur lifted up the boy's shirt, revealing the wound causing so much trouble. It was swollen and red, but it didn't look infected. The blood loss is what concerned Arthur.

Precious seconds turned into minutes, which turned into hours. Maybe it wasn't hours, but to Arthur, it was.

At last, Arthur heard familiar hoof beats approaching.

M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M. M.M.M.M.M.M.M

Mithian dropped down next to Arthur, and the now-unconscious Merlin.

"How is he?" She asks, guilt evident in her voice.

"If we can get him to Gauis now, he will make it." Arthur reassured her, as well as himself.

Mithian looked down at the serving boy, who had grown quite pale and unresponsive.

"Arthur..." she looked up to meet his azul eyes.

"Gauis isn't in Camelot." She said solemnly.

Arthur's stomach dropped. They had just sealed Merlin's fate. He was to die, here. Alone in the forest.

"-ere, Arthur." Mithian continued.

"What?"

"He's here. With us. That is why I took so long."

Arthur chuckled. Laughed a little, even. How could he haven't noticed the extra grey horse?

MM.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M,M.M .M.M.M.M.M.M

Arthur walked into the makeshift camp, and into the tent where Gauis had treated Merlin.

"Sire?" Gauis spoke.

"Will he be alright?" the price asked.

"You cleansed the wound well, so no infection has set in, which is good, but the inflammation has only lessen a bit. I have given him something for the pain, but I've done all I can do. He's sleeping right now, and I believe that in time he should make a full recovery."

Arthur let out a sigh of relief. "Good..." He muttered.

Gauis raised an eyebrow, his trademark expression.

"I mean, who else would polish my armor, muck out my stables, and feed me breakfast?"

Gauis chuckled.

M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M.M. M.M.M.M.M.M.M

"And follow my finger." Gauis moved over his ward's ashen face.

"Gauis, I am fine!" A familiar voice sounded frustrated.

Arthur, who was collecting firewood at the time, had just came in to check on Merlin, to find him fully awake and himself, arguing at being fussed over.

"Morning, dunderhead." The prince said.

"Dunderhead? That's low, even for you, you prat." Merlin frowned and shook his head.

"What? I was just trying to cheer you up."

"Who says I was unhappy?"

"No one, you just had that look..."

"Arthur, are you worried about me?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"Of course not. Now hurry up and heal, I can't function without a proper servant. Oh, wait."

"Oh, ha-ha, very funny."

Gauis sat back, happy that Merlin was feeling better, and happy that everything would be okay.

**A/N Hehe, hi guys... Please don't kill me! I seriously thought I had already put this chapter up... Guess not... Anyways, hope you liked it! Thank you to all who favorited, reviewed, followed, and just read! You guys rock! (Especially because this story isn't that great! :) haha) Just thank you times a billion! 3**


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